"I'm concerned public servants alone decide on these decisions based on their interpretation of the system," he said.

Mr Somerville says a panel of child experts and community members should make decisions on placements of children, based on reports compiled by the DCP.

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He said reports should be compiled within a month of children going into emergency/short-term care.

Mr Somerville said the current decision-making system was not transparent enough and he was concerned DCP officers were not doing a thorough enough job.

"I think there should be an independent process and the report would have to say this is what we want to do and why and these are the alternatives," he said.

"I don't believe each decision is made on the right merits."

Mr Somerville said his position was a result of what he had seen in his family, within the community and through the different roles he had worked in.

He also claimed DCP officers had a culture of not committing actions and decisions to paper.

The Department for Child Protection director general Terry Murphy said Mr Somerville's comments were ill-informed and demonstrated a "lack of understanding of direction for current child protection in Western Australia."

"The department does not claim to be perfect and in its complex work there will always be different interpretations of situations," he said.

"The department would welcome the opportunity to meet with him to discuss any concerns and current practices."

The Signs of Safety Child Protection Practice Framework, introduced in 2008, underpins child protection work in Western Australia.

Mr Murphy said this placed families at the centre of decision making.

"Developing constructive, working relationships with families is its first principle," Mr Murphy said.

"This is challenging in the face of children being abused or neglected by their parents.

"The department aims to create a network of support, through extended family, friends, and professionals, to address the safety concerns in a family for children to remain safe and at home."

Mr Murphy also said the DCP was a transparent organisation.

He said the department operated via a casework practice manual and guiding frameworks.

"Decisions about the placement of a child are never made by a single child protection worker, but within a team environment as close to the family and as collaboratively as possible.

"All decisions are documented and reviewed with many checks and balances built into the system including a mechanism for complaints and an independent case review panel."